Social Proof as Your Law Firm Marketing Secret Weapon

Would you hire a lawyer that you don’t trust? I wouldn’t.

Anyone can say that they’re the “best lawyer” or “top-rated attorney” in a particular city. But that really doesn’t mean anything to people who are searching for legal services. 

Consider this:

I could drive around Boston for 20 minutes and find dozens of signs saying “best pizza in Boston” outside of different restaurants. None of those claims are convincing me to stop. But if I’m in the mood for pizza, search for places online, and find a pizzeria with 2,500 five-star reviews on Google, I’m immediately interested.

That’s the power of social proof. 

If people are willing to use this criteria for something as insignificant as a slice of pizza, I can guarantee they’re going to scrutinize things even more when they need a lawyer.  

What Exactly is Social Proof?

Social proof is a psychological buying concept in which people look to the opinions, actions, and behaviors of other people to guide their decision-making. 

The idea is actually quite simple. People assume that if lots of other people do something, it must be a good idea and legitimate. 

In terms of law firm marketing, social proof serves as validation for prospective clients. If a person is hit by a truck or injured at work and they need an attorney to handle their claim, they can’t use guesswork to decide something so important. But if they see hundreds of positive online reviews and case studies for multi-million dollar personal injury settlements, they’re far more inclined to use that law firm. 

Why Social Proof is So Important For Law Firms

I’d argue that social proof is more important for lawyers than any other industry. If people are willing to take ten minutes to read reviews about a $15 item on Amazon, consider how much effort they’re going to put into finding an attorney.

Here’s what social proof does for law firms:

• Builds trust
• Establishes credibility
• Shows your expertise
• Helps humanize your firm
• Improves conversions

There are dozens of different studies out there saying that 98% of people read online reviews before hiring a lawyer. Other sources say that number is 92% but it’s really just splitting hairs.

While lawyers have to follow stricter marketing guidelines per state law regulations, the problem is that people just can’t take your word for things anymore. You can say how great you are and talk about why your firm will serve someone better than your competitors. 

But that’s all hearsay without social proof. 

Types of Social Proof For Lawyers

Let’s look at some of the most common ways that law firms can present social proof to prospective clients online.

Case Studies of Successful Outcomes

Case studies and success stories are crucial for law firms because they demonstrate that you’ve delivered real results. If someone’s spouse is sick from mesothelioma and they need an attorney to help get them compensation from a former employer, they’re more inclined to hire your firm if you have actually proved that you settle these types of claims. 

One thing that can be tricky for lawyers here is that many clients prefer confidentiality. So you can’t always get too detailed about a case or particular settlement.

That said, you can still highlight successful outcomes on your website. Check out this awesome example from a personal injury attorney based in North Carolina:

Not only does it highlight settlements in terms of dollars, but it also showcases versatility in terms of claim types (jury verdicts, trucking collisions, workers’ comp settlements, etc.).

Client Reviews and Testimonials

Having positive reviews from clients online is obviously important for social proof, and a lot of what I’ve discussed so far has been review-centric. 

The key here is having vast coverage of reviews across different platforms and sources based on how people search.

• Google reviews
• Yelp reviews
• Facebook reviews
• Legal-specific directory reviews
• Yellow Pages
• BBB

Then you can pull some of the best reviews for your website. And I’d take this one step further with certain clients who are willing to go the extra mile for you and break confidentiality.

Video testimonials from your clients can be a gold mine for your practice. Hearing and seeing someone talk about their experience working with you is even more powerful than just reading about it in a review.

Awards and Accomplishments

Have you been recognized either nationally or locally for any of your achievements? 

Don’t let those opportunities go to waste. Share them in as many places as possible! Especially on your website, like this:

Whether it’s some prestigious industry-specific award or something smaller and local, the more of these that you can share online just continues to add trust and credibility to your firm.

Share it on Facebook. Add it to your email signature. Have your lawyers add it to their LinkedIn profile credentials. 

You need to remember that everyone searches for lawyers a bit differently. So you can’t assume they’re going to land on your website’s “awards” page to see this stuff. 

Take steps to ensure visibility in as many places as possible. 

Media Mentions

Any positive PR surrounding your firm should also be shared in as many places as possible online. 

This could be a local news story mentioning you in a successful court settlement or a chamber of commerce recognizing you for offering pro bono services to a local person in need. 

I’ll even extend the definition of media mentions to include stuff like podcast appearances, speaking engagements, and guest blogs on other websites. 

These are all excellent opportunities for you to get your firm in front of more eyes, and you can share them on your platforms as well to help with your social proof marketing efforts.

Trust Badges and Certifications

Trust badges are more commonly associated with security for scenarios when people are entering personal information or credit card details online. That doesn’t always translate to law firms, as being PCI-compliant isn’t really relevant for lawyers as it is for an ecommerce site.

But you can still get creative with your badges as they’re a great way to establish trust. Here’s an example:

You can create custom badges to say anything you want here that’s relevant to your practice.

• 50 years of experience
• Free consultations
• 24/7 phone service

Whatever makes you stand out.

How Social Proof Boosts Your Lawyer SEO Efforts

In addition to getting prospective clients to trust your law firm, social proof also helps enhance your SEO strategy. 

There’s a direct correlation between Google Reviews and local SEO success. 

Google rewards law firms that are constantly getting new reviews, and this drastically increases your chances of appearing in local 3-packs when people nearby are searching for your services.

If your firm is being mentioned online in media outlets or through positive brand mentions, it can signal customer satisfaction and relevance for your particular niche. This adds to your credibility and authoritativeness in the eyes of Google, and helps boost your rankings for searches. 

As a result, you’ll end up with more people on your firm’s site as you start to climb the SERPs for different search terms. 

The Connection Between Social Proof and CRO For Law Firms

Here’s the thing about social proof. None of your efforts actually matter unless you’re actually getting new clients in the door. 

That’s where CRO (conversion rate optimization) comes into play.

For law firms, that typically means either calling your office or filling out an online consultation form.

Here’s an example of an online form that continues to leverage social proof to drive conversions.

If you look at this screen, the social proof takes about 80% of the screen, whereas the form itself is the remaining 20%.

This particular law firm has social proof all over the site. But they strategically choose to remind prospects about the billions of dollars they’ve saved their clients, how much experience they have, and the thousands of reviews they have across multiple sites. They include media mentions here as well — all the stuff we’ve been talking about. 

Unlocking the Full Potential of Social Proof as Your Law Firm’s Secret Weapon

So, how can your law firm take this concept and put it into practice?

First, you need to understand that social proof can’t be fabricated or implemented overnight. It needs to be genuine, and ideally, it’s a mix of signals across multiple sources and channels. 

That said, start by taking a hard look at what you can control yourself instantly:

• Do you have trust badges and certifications strategically placed on your website?
• Does your site have recent client reviews and testimonials prominently displayed?
• Are there key results and successful outcomes highlighted?

From there, consider more long-term plays. This is the stuff that takes time to develop, but grows exponentially when executed properly:

• Finding ways to get more client reviews
• Prioritizing SEO and local SEO
• Testing your site design for conversion optimization
• Gaining positive PR and brand mentions
• Speaking engagements and podcast guest appearances

If you don’t think you have the time or in-house resources to handle this on your own, you can work with our law firm marketing experts here at McDougall Interactive. I’d be happy to speak with you personally to get to know your firm’s specific needs before developing a strategy that’s custom fit for your goals. Just reach out and let me know.